Shropshire Star

Town centre church a step closer

Plans to move a church from a residential area into the town centre have moved a step close after it acquired a building.

Published

Hope Church, currently in Laburnum Drive, Oswestry, wants to move onto a site on English Walls, next to the central car park.

It has now asked for planning permission to change the use of an adjoining unit in Market Gate from a restaurant to a Church Hall.

Speaking on behalf of Hope Church Mr Tony Gray said: "The unit has been acquired as part of our proposed development of our new church building as previously approved. The original church hall from the Baptist Church had a change of use to commercial in 1997, and we are now using this building for religious purposes and community use."

Members of the church say that the current building in Laburnum Drive is more than 50 years old and needs an upgrade. They said they want to become more visible in the town and that the centre of Oswestry was the perfect place.

The church says it has plans to spend about £1m clearing the space opposite Poundland on English Walls and building a new community facility.

In 2017, Hope Church expanded its community provision with the introduction of Osbless, a week of volunteering, and launched a new job and IT club in partnership with Foodbank.